Musa credits both state, federal civil servants for Sabah’s progress

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman today praised civil servants for their teamwork with elected representatives, saying this had brought the state to where it is today.

Urging them to continue this cooperation, he said no one individual, including himself, could claim credit for the state’s achievements.

These ranged from the changing skyline of the state capital to having one of the largest tracts of conservation areas in the nation, he added.

He said Sabah was also experiencing steady economic growth, while the effectiveness of the state administration had been recognised by various authorities including the auditor-general.

“I cannot claim to have achieved this alone. Without the civil service, we could not have done so much,” he said at an annual gathering with senior state and federal government officers here.

The gathering was held at the Sabah Government Administrative Centre (PPNS), which houses the Chief Minister’s Department.

Musa said the civil service must continue working with the elected leaders in order for Sabah to continue progressing.

He added that Sabah was now in a position to further develop as it had the underlying requirements, including economic stability and harmony among the people.

“Continuous improvements are being made to our infrastructure, including the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway which will make all districts easily accessible,” he said.

Apart from the 32-storey PPNS complex, he said, changes to Kota Kinabalu’s skyline included the Sabah International Convention Centre and the Jesselton Quay for cruise ships.

Musa said the Tanjung Aru Eco Development would also restore the appeal of the scenic area near Kota Kinabalu.

Regarding conservation, he said, Sabah was on track towards achieving 2.2 million hectares of totally protected areas within five years.

“This amount represents 30% of our land area and goes beyond the requirements of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature,” he added.

In order to accomplish this, he said, the state government was putting a halt to logging in key areas such as the Ulu Segama and Malua forest reserves near Lahad Datu on Sabah’s east coast.

“We had to forego nearly RM1 billion in revenue for this, but we were willing to do so for the sake of the environment,” Musa added. -FMT